Aging in Place
If you are remodeling, building, or buying a home that you know you are going to stay in for a while, the best advice you could take is to design it for every stage of your life, not just the one you are in now. We all age, and to do it well we have to plan ahead. Your home is no different and you want to age well in it. Universal design is a design principle that incorporates safety and functionality for all ages as the first priority in home design. Universal design is not meant to make your home look like a public restroom with its safety rails and grab bars, but it does allow for versatility as you age. If you are serious about aging well in your home, here are some simple tips to get you started.
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Tip #1: Stairs are an obstacle.
Climbing stairs is difficult when you are young and become hard again as you age. When you find your dream home, make sure that the stairs are limited and easy to navigate. If you are building or remodeling your home and stairs are apart of the design, consider using a beautifully designed ramp instead. Ramps are much easier to navigate as you age and you never know if life will throw a curveball landing you in a wheelchair.
Tip #2: Multiple water outlets are versatile.
The bathroom can be one of the biggest impediments to easy living as you age. Turn you bathroom into an easy to use area for anyone including those with limited mobility. Start with you shower-heads. Using shower heads that can vary in height or multiple shower heads with separate controls helps make your shower more versatile. Be sure to include a seat in your shower with a shower head and controls close enough for someone to use in a seated position.
Tip #3: Curbless installation for limited mobility.
As you age, your mobility becomes more and more limited. Make your shower easy to get in and out of by installing a curbless shower. Curbless or roll-in showers can be beautiful and inviting as they are typically larger than a normal shower and are designed so mobility isn't an issue but an opportunity. Also when considering your shower design, make sure towel hooks or bars are within reach of the door of the shower and that the bottles you usually see cluttering up the sides of a tub have a nook or place within the shower that won't be in the way of someone with limitations.
Tip #4: Handless operation passes the test.
When installing faucets, door handles, cabinet knobs, and drawer pulls, be sure that they can be operated by someone with severe arthritis. If you can operate the faucet (or knob) with your hands closed in fists so you only have pressure working in your favor, then it passes the aging in place test. Ideally, you want your faucets and door handles to be operated with just one hand using a lever system rather than having to turn something. There are also some cool design solutions for faucets that use motion sensors rather than having to use a handle of any sort.
Tip #5: Slip resistant flooring saves the day.
Flooring can be tricky as you lose your mobility with age. Although stone and wood are beautiful, they can be slippery and dangerous to an aging body. There are very few products that can add slip resistance to an existing floor without changing the look or damaging the appearance of the floor, so it is better to start with slip resistant materials like cork, carpet, or small tiles that don't have much by way of a slip surface.
